U.S. Rep. Celeste Maloy (R-UT) on Sept. 26 unveiled a bill that would increase access to eyeglass fittings for millions of United States military veterans living in America’s remote areas.
“Veterans in rural Utah have expressed frustration about having to travel hundreds of miles just to be fitted for eyeglasses,” Rep. Maloy said. “Making this basic service more accessible is a good step towards improving healthcare for our veterans.”
The congresswoman sponsored the Servicemember’s Eyeglasses Efficiency (SEE) Act, H.R. 5593, to amend the U.S. Code to include eyeglass lens fittings in the category of medical services authorized to be furnished to veterans under the Veterans Community Care Program.
“The SEE Act is a great example of how representative government should work: finding a solution to a federal problem raised by the people we represent,” said Rep. Maloy.
According to information provided by her staff, a quarter of U.S. veterans (6.4 million) live in rural parts of the country and one-third wear eyeglasses.
Community Care Networks under the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) do permit some veterans to access basic care in their communities without traveling to VA facilities. However, many VA jurisdictions do not allow eyeglass fittings in the community, meaning veterans in rural parts of a state are forced to drive many miles roundtrip for eyeglass fittings at VA facilities.
H.R. 5593 would help veterans and save the VA money in travel and lodging reimbursement costs by adding eyeglass fittings to the list of treatments covered by VA Community Care Networks, the information says.
The measure has been referred to the U.S. House Veterans’ Affairs Committee for consideration.